Aloe Vera Gel for Healthy Natural Hair
What is Aloe Vera?
Aloe vera is a perennial succulent plant that has been treasured throughout the history of mankind for its many beneficial properties. Evidence of its use are found in ancient Egyptian and Greek histories. Once introduced to southern Europe in the early 17th century it quickly became an accepted medicinal plant. It can be grown easily in most climates, and is well-suited for patio and indoor habitats, making it a species found in many homes.
Several of the properties attributed to aloe vera gel include facilitation of wound healing (especially burns and abrasions), mitigation of damage from ultraviolet radiation, anti-microbial activity (antibacterial and antifungal), anti-inflammatory action, skin moisturization, digestion aid, as well as potential applications as an anti-cancer agent and a targeted, controlled release drug delivery agent. Investigation is being done to increase our understanding of the composition of aloe vera and of the mechanisms by which it achieves it extraordinary accomplishments.
Aloe Vera in Hair Products
Given its ready accessibility and apparently gentle and healing nature, it is unsurprising that aloe vera gel is also popular in cosmetics and hair care, particularly as a kitchen-chemist or home herbalist ingredient. The claims made for what it can do for hair are fairly broad, and some should probably be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism. The frequently touted aloe vera gel benefits to hair include improved detangling, moisturization, scalp healing, remediation of dandruff, restoration of pH levels, decreased frizz, enhanced cellular regeneration, anti-inflammatory action for the scalp and generation of hair growth.
Many people report excellent results when aloe vera gel is applied on the hair after washing and conditioning, and before a styling gel is applied. Some curlies enjoy using aloe vera gel as a stand-alone styling agent, while for others, this does not supply sufficient hold or curl retention.
There have also been testimonies of aloe vera gel being drying to hair, that it contains protein which makes low-porosity hair stiff and dry, and many questions of whether or not it behaves as a humectant. Finally, inconsistent results have been obtained when using aloe vera gel from different sources. A quick peek at the complex chemistry of this wonderful plant should provide some insight into these observations and questions.
Composition
The aloe vera plant stores water in its leaves, which allows it to thrive during arid periods in climates where rainfall is sporadic. “Gel” is the terminology used to describe the mucilaginous material obtained from the parenchyma tissue of the plant. This slimy substance is approximately 99.0 – 99.5% water. The remaining 0.5-1.0% is comprised of a highly complex mixture of many components consistently mainly of a number of polymeric carbohydrate molecules called polysaccharides which contain building blocks of different small molecule sugars (monosaccharides). While a number of polysaccharides are present, the primary ones are acetylated mannan and pectin substance. These polymers provide the physical structure to this highly aqueous system which gives it its mucilaginous character. Mannans are also responsible for binding cellulose and for acting as signaling molecules for plant growth. Pectin substance includes several closely-related polysaccharides such as pectin, pectic acid, and arabinogalactin.
Polysaccharides have many hydroxyl groups pendant to the chain, available for hydrogen bonding, and for this reason are very hydrophilic and water soluble. This hydrophilicity also means that polysaccharides attract water from the atmosphere and bind it to the polymer surface, which is classic humectant behavior. This can have important ramifications for curly hair especially.
Aloe vera gel also contains small amounts of the protein lectin, as well as various amino acids. These can be absorbed into the cortex of hair, to greater extents by hair with greater porosity, where they can add structural integrity to the hair. However, some hair types become overly stiff and brittle or dry when protein accumulates on or in it, so it is wise to be aware of the presence of these materials in anything applied to the hair. The balance of the components in aloe vera gel include several vitamins, organic fatty acids and triglycerides, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, proteins, simple sugars and other compounds.
Key Ingredients in Aloe Vera
- Polysaccharides (carbohydrates): mannan, acetylated mannan (also: acemannan), pectic substance, cellulose, galactan, galactogalacturan, arabinogalactan, xylan.
- Fatty acids: γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, salicylic acid, uric acid.
- Vitamins: α-tocopherol (vitamin A), B vitamins including folic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), β-carotene, choline.
- Protein: lectin, lectin-like substance.
- Inorganic elements and minerals: chromium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, copper, iron, phosphorous, potassium, zinc.
- Various organic molecules: monosaccharides (sugars), enzymes, amino acids, anthroquinones, chromones, miscellaneous.
Benefits for Hair
Aloe vera gel has both emollient and moisturizing properties, meaning that it smoothes the cuticle surface and also attracts and seals in moisture. Despite having a relatively low amount of active ingredients on a molecular or weight basis (less than 1.0%), the specific combination and type of ingredients enable it to pack a significant punch.
It imparts detangling and conditioning by forming a polymer film on the surface of the hair, thereby smoothing the cuticle. This film can also provide mild hold, but significant curl retention based on application of aloe alone is unlikely. The pectin and sugar molecules can deliver moisture to the hair, and the amino acids and trace amounts of protein present can strengthen the cortex of damaged hair. It can act as a humectant as well, which can be beneficial in certain climates for specific hair types, but can also be a detriment in others.
Finally, aloe vera gel contains minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other micronutrients which may be beneficial to the hair and scalp. For many users, aloe vera makes an excellent leave-in conditioner to be used underneath applied styling products to provide extra protection for delicate tresses. It is completely water soluble, so can be used regardless of the preferred cleansing regimen.
Aloe Vera Gel Variations
Investigators have observed that there is significant variation in the polysaccharide content and composition of aloe vera gel. This has been found to be dependent upon many factors. Extraction and processing methods have a huge impact on the polysaccharide content of the gel. Polysaccharides are highly susceptible to degradation from temperature and shear forces. Season of growth and location create variations also. There have even been differences observed from leaf to leaf of the same plant. This is a potential explanation for variability in performance noted by different users. As with many things in nature, some degree of flexibility may have to be acceptable.
As documented below, most “100% pure Aloe vera gel” available for purchase is a mixture containing some aloe, polymers for viscosity modification, preservatives and other additives. These additions will necessarily change the impact of the aloe vera on your hair as well.
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Gel, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Carbomer 940, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea
Buying Aloe Vera Gel
Many health food stores should carry a product that is more pure than this. However, the fact that aloe contains high amounts of water means that it is highly susceptible to microbial growth and thus, must be preserved if packaged for commercial sale. In order to achieve proper suspension of the preservative, it is probably necessary to add the viscosity-modifying polymer. For these reasons, the optimal way to obtain truly pure Aloe vera gel would be to grow it at home and extract what you need from your own plants. Gardening can be fun and rewarding in its own right anyway. There is something very satisfying about growing, nurturing and harvesting your own supplies.
Music
Yung Barry’s “Bobble Up” from “Grade 1” is a celebration of life, love, and endless possibilities
Spotify Track: https://open.spotify.com/track/3MaUU0ZmLH9aShY87Riptv?si=5d846d8ada2744a1
Instagram: @yungbarry_official
Label: Markey Muzik
Entrepreneur
Award Winning Entrepreneur Mama Sue Taylor Talks Being A Cannabis Pioneer & Resource For The Elderly Community
Sue Taylor “Mama Sue”, is a pioneer in the space of wellness and cannabis. Breaking barriers as the first black woman to open and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California, she has been featured in Forbes, CNN, ABC7, Black Enterprise, MSN and several other publications sharing her incredible journey through cannabis. As she is one of the most influential women in cannabis she continues to utilize her platform to debunk any negativity surrounding the healing plant. As a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate, Sue Taylor has made it her mission to be a resource to the elderly community through her Mama Sue Wellness tinctures and series of educational events.
I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Sue after she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from Grammy Award Winning singer Erykah Badu at the 2024 Women in Cannabis Awards. Check it out below.
Sue Taylor Interview
What does it mean to you being a cannabis advocate and how did you get your start in the cannabis industry?
Sue Taylor: If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would be working in the cannabis industry I would have never believed them. I did not choose this, it chose me. My son lured me into the business by convincing me that this is a way for me to have my spiritual wellness center that I have always wanted and that intrigued me. I saw that it was needed because of how I took care of my body when I began to age and I knew the pharmaceutical approach wasn’t working way back then. As I said yes to work with Cannabis, I was actually scared and frightened by it due to the movie Reefer Madness. People in my generation were always told weed was a drug and it was always black people or hispanics and the weed devil and a lot of craziness.
This deterred my generation from cannabis because we simply do not break rules and it was deemed federally illegal. As an African American woman you know there is a stigma around us. I am already judged for being a black woman and I don’t want to be judged again! Being black I am judged everyday even still to this day, so to be taking on something that is extremely stigmatized was scary. But when my son told me I could have my Sue Taylor Wellness facility, I said okay let’s give it a try. Even though I was scared, I knew it was something I had to do to improve the quality of my life. If your dream doesn’t scare you a little bit your dream is not big enough. I was so scared but I was not willing to give up, which has allowed me to live my dream in real time.
Not only are you a cannabis advocate but you are also a pioneer. Can you share with me your vision for your Farmacy dispensary as you are the first and only black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley?
ST: The journey to opening Farmacy Berkeley was not an easy one. It took us 17 years to get things going. However, I was granted a permit to open Farmacy Berkeley because I had a special niche. Mine was geared to the needs of seniors. I also did my own lobbying to the city council and the mayor. I did it because we really didn’t have the money to do it and we are not equity people. We used our family’s money to get things accomplished. I had another key component Brittany that I want to share. When I went in, they could see that I genuinely cared for humankind. It wasn’t about me. And it really wasn’t just about cannabis. I just saw cannabis as one tool to help people. My pioneer work has helped with the stigma that surrounds cannabis. Recently I received the Lifetime Achievement at the Women in Cannabis Awards for my advocacy work and have also received an advocacy award from Oaksterdam University.
I have been very successful at helping to eliminate the stigma because I don’t fit the mold. I’m a former Catholic school principal. I am also a commissioner on aging. I was the commissioner on aging for Alameda County, where Farmacy Berkeley is located. On top of that, I am certified by the state of California to teach the cannabis program to nurses and help them obtain credits toward the yearly certifications that they need. I’ve had that certification for five years or more. It’s amazing to do that. It has been quite a journey for me. I have also been successful simply because I genuinely care.
When we opened up Farmacy Berkeley, we were open for one month, then the pandemic stopped everything. They sent all seniors home because people were afraid I was going to get covid. So we went away from it and then came back. But before I really got into business, I was teaching seniors. I had a community room where I would educate seniors free of charge, just come in and talk. I even did meditation classes. I did a lot of things there as well. Then that all stopped because of the pandemic. But I want you to be clear on this, we were opened up after we got the license.
How did Cannabis change your life?
ST: When I saw the way cannabis was positively impacting the lives of everyone around me that I was working with, that’s when I became open to cannabis. When I started off, I would not touch it, I was simply just doing the work. But after time, people kept coming to me saying that they were no longer using canes, wheelchairs or medication anymore. Seeing the progress in those people, I began to change my mind and became open to cannabis to help with pain or to help me sleep.
I started to think “maybe my son was right this whole time”. I thought he was on drugs, but when I found out what he was doing things changed. He was attending Oaksterdam University learning the entrepreneur side of cannabis. 17 years ago, there were only dispensaries for medical patients and only three in the Berkeley area making the rules a lot stricter. Its incredible how much growth there has been in the industry and the opportunities it’s presenting in helping others, especially seniors. I continued to do the work, myself along with the many hardworking individuals in the cannabis industry see the benefits of being in the business.
What is your mission for helping the elderly connect to cannabis as you have your Mama Sue Wellness products that are specifically geared toward seniors?
ST: Those products were made with love for a group of people that most people have forgotten about. This means everything to me to be able to have wellness products that cater to my demographic.
Seniors mostly come to cannabis for two reasons, because they can’t sleep or they’re in pain. Thats what each tincture was crafted to help with, we have a sleep tincture made with high CBN and CBD and an extra strength tincture which is high-CBD to help with aches and pain. And we have more products coming very soon. These were made with seniors in mind, but I think I might have more young people using the Mama Sue products for sleep and anxiety because the relief tincture, you could use that during the day and still function. They won’t get you high.
What has it been like working with Glass House Brands?
ST: I’ve been a part of Glass House, for a little over 4 years. What many people don’t know is that in the process of building Farmacy Berkeley, we ran out of money. That is when Kyle, Graham and the Glass House team came in, we became partners and they put up the remainder of the money to help build out the dispensary to my specifications. Glass House also helped me develop my tincture products that I’ve always wanted, Mama Sue Wellness. They aligned with my values and are doing things right, that’s why I chose them.
I’m grateful to be part of the Glass House team, they really support my mission in helping change the stigma around cannabis. As a Brand Ambassador we work together to put together these educational events, I travel to our different dispensaries where I get to speak and answer questions for local seniors one on one.
You mentioned your Mama Sue products and how they’re kind of more so geared toward the senior community. What do you feel like is the most important thing about wellness when it comes to cannabis and debunking these misconceptions?
ST: To begin, it depends on the group of people you are talking to. For instance, when me and my fellow cannabis advocates needed to get something done as a cannabis group going up against the city and state, they would always suggest sending me to speak on the group’s behalf. They thought it was like some magic or something, but let me tell you what it was, Brittany. I looked at the cannabis industry and I looked at most of the people who were in that industry at that time. They looked like stoners. I did not. And I was not. And I made a conscious decision that every time I was representing cannabis, I would look like a lawyer. And that’s who they met. They said, oh, you are in the wrong place, lady. I said, no, I’m here for cannabis. I didn’t fit the mold. Brittany, when they looked at me, I didn’t fit their perception of what people who used cannabis look like. Does that make sense?
I know that recently you and Dreka Gates got a chance to connect, can you share the synergy and connection you two ladies share?
ST: It was amazing. It was one of my most amazing ‘Plants Over Pills’ interviews because we connected on so many levels, so many levels. I’ve never met a young person like that, that’s spiritually evolved like her, because she’s young, you know she’s young, she’s only 37. And we just talked like we knew each other. Wait till you see the interview, it’s on the Glass House YouTube channel. I’ve never conducted an interview like that before. The camera crew was saying, oh my God, they were amazed at how easily we connected, and we just kept talking and talking. We connected on such a high level, we’re both spiritual people, we’ve been through a lot, we believe in plant medicine for healing, and she’s now even opening her first dispensary in Mississippi. Dreka talks about all the challenges she went through to secure the permit. We had trouble in California and we’re the most progressive state there is, I can’t imagine Mississippi. We bonded over all of that, opening our first dispensary and our vision to expanding that into our wellness facilities.
What has been your experience with pills versus plants for healing?
ST: They tried to give me a pill during the pandemic. I’m a spiritual person, and I had anxiety and was having difficult nights of sleep, had so much fear, all that kind of stuff. So, I went to my doctor and she prescribed me pills. I said, you know, I’m not a pill taker. But for some reason she insisted that I just take it. So I took the pills home, I looked it up and researched them before I popped anything. You know what it said on the bottle, they were to help with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia! I called her immediately and relayed my findings to her. You know what her response to me was? Why are you questioning me? You are not a doctor. She said, I give that to all my patients that have anxiety. You know what my response to her was? “I am not all your patients, and I don’t take a pill for anything. You know that I don’t take a pill to manage my health so why would you give me something for schizophrenics? I am not schizophrenic.” So that was it. I had to start looking out for my own health, and wellbeing.
I always make this disclaimer, pills have their place. Pharmaceuticals are not bad. They are not bad for people who need them. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary use. If you get into a car accident or going into operation for eight hours, yes pills are helpful. But most people are using pharmaceuticals just to manage their day to day lives. Like with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol, with even anxiety.You start taking pills for an operation, then you have high blood pressure, then 10, 15 years later, you’re still on those same pills and more. That’s not okay. We have to stay educated about our health and thankfully, our younger generation are getting better at understanding that. The younger generation just doesn’t take what people tell them. You guys research everything. I have three sons so I’m surrounded by all the young people all the time and they keep me sharp.
I just met another guy, he’s gonna open up a wellness facility because everybody is seeing the light, popping a pill is not going to get you healthy. If anything, it’s gonna deteriorate your body because it’s all about the money. Pharmaceutical approach to healthcare. They give politicians money so they continue to push pills on us. We have to look beyond. We have to think for ourselves and find more natural ways to heal and care for bodies, mind and spirit.
Brittany, as I look at your beautiful face today, with that beautiful skin, that beautiful complexion, you have to go within and do what’s best for Brittany. I don’t care what the doctors try to tell you. Trust yourself first, always.
To learn more about Mama Sue Taylor and her journey through cannabis, follow her on Instagram at @suetaylorwellness.
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